A Few Good Men is a play written by Aaron Sorkin and first performed in 1989. The story involves a military lawyer who defends two Marines accused of murder. The play was well-received, and Sorkin adapted it into a screenplay for the film of the same name (released in 1992), which was a popular and critical success.

Plot Summary

A Few Good Men opens as two Marines, Downey and Dawson, recall the details of a nighttime incident that resulted in the death of fellow marine Santiago in their unit in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Downey and Dawson have signed confessions, admitting to killing Santiago. A young, arrogant Navy lawyer named Daniel Kaffee is assigned to defend them in the case. Although the men have signed confessions, Internal Affairs lawyer Joanne Galloway thinks that Santiago’s death may involve a Code Red incident. In the Marines, a Code Red is a common but illegal retaliatory hazing practice of inflicting a beating to enforce discipline. Galloway convinces her superiors to take the case but is annoyed when they assign Kaffee instead of her as the lead defense.

Kaffee, assigned along with his colleague Weinburg, struggles to motivate himself for the case. He immediately begins to think about striking a quick plea deal on behalf of the accused men. Kaffee typically seeks out the easiest, most convenient plea deal and almost never goes to court. The lead prosecutor in this case, Jack Ross, does offer him a deal, but Kaffee is suspicious about how quickly Ross is willing to bargain in what seems like an easy case for the prosecution. Kaffee is intrigued. Partly because of Galloway’s goading, he begins to focus more energy on the case. Kaffee, Weinburg, and Galloway travel to the US military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to investigate Santiago’s death.

As the play continues, Kaffee learns more about the strange events surrounding Santiago’s death. Flashbacks, interviews, and recollections reveal that Santiago was desperate to leave Guantanamo Bay. He struggled to meet the intense fitness demands of the Marine Corps, and his commanders noted his struggles. Santiago wrote a series of letters, begging for transfer to a different base. In one letter, he offered to reveal the identity of a US Marine who illegally fired his weapon across the fence at the camp’s perimeter, into Cuban territory. Kaffee begins to wonder whether the Code Red that Dawson and Downey enacted against Santiago was punishment for this seeming act of betrayal—or an effort to compel Santiago to train harder. The man in charge of the base, Colonel Jessup, insists that neither he nor his officers—Kendrick and Markinson—ordered a Code Red. When Kaffee and the lawyers meet with Jessup, he denies any knowledge of a Code Red and insists that Santiago’s death was a tragic accident.

Kaffee becomes frustrated with Downey and Dawson. Downey, who isn’t an intelligent man, struggles to comprehend what is happening to him. He looks up to Dawson and blithely does as Dawson tells him to do. Kaffee recognizes that Dawson is far smarter than his fellow Marine. Ross, who wants to avoid the case going to trial because it might mean bad publicity for the Marines, offers Kaffee an exceptional deal. Dawson rejects the offer, as it would force him to admit that he acted alone. He insists that he was following Kendrick’s orders and consequently thinks that he was acting according to the Marines’ idea of honor. Kaffee is frustrated.

The case goes to court. Markinson feels guilty and fleas the base. He breaks into a government records facility, brandishing a pistol, and obtains documents which prove that Jessup was lying about Santiago’s impending transfer. After sending these documents to Kaffee, he kills himself. Just as the case seems unwinnable, Galloway convinces Kaffee to put Jessup on the witness stand. Kaffee knows that he risks being court-martialed if he accuses a high-ranking officer of lying but can’t produce proof. In court, Kaffee grills Jessup. The colonel dismisses Kaffee’s line of questioning, insisting that officers always follow his orders because otherwise people die. However, when Kaffee’s interrogation puts Jessup in a logical trap, he erupts angrily and admits that he ordered the Code Red against Santiago. He thinks that Santiago’s death may have been a tragedy but that it probably saved lives. Jessup argues that maintaining discipline in such a fashion is an important part of national security. Much to his surprise, he’s arrested. Downey and Dawson are found innocent of the murder charge but are dishonorably discharged from the Marines.